What Else Is There?
by Nike-Roma
Summary: "I couldn't believe what I had done. A step closer and I would have killed them both. So, I ran and I won't look back. I will race until I can't breathe, until I forget that look I left in Emily's terrified eyes, until I die." Sam's POV. Mature. SamxEmily
1. Distant Encounters

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and are works of her imagination. Plots and original characters are of my creating so please respect both of our writings!

_(Set in the middle of Eclipse, after Edward has returned and at the beginning of the creation of Victora's army in Seattle.)_

_x x x  
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**Chapter one:** Distant Encounters

A swollen sun was sinking slowly into the mountains. The light that burst out across the horizon splintered the sky into a million shades of red and orange. The day was dying but I could still feel the heat on my skin. It prickled softly and I welcomed the gentle warmth. The ocean was roaring with waves that were so strong it pulled the sand and water right out from under your feet. But not for long. The thundering tide would soon be eerily silenced. The thick green summer forest would soon become a hillside of crimson as summer surrendered to fall. Even in the summer heat I could feel the seasons slowly shifting.

The sun was setting earlier and rising later and the days seemed too short. I liked the long days of summer and the way the heat made the whole town lazy. The boys would frequently visit for Emily's ice-cold lemonade and they'd stay and sit under the sun till it finally departed from the sky long after 9:00pm. The grass tickled my ankles lightly as the wind blew and my mind previously deep in thought focused back on a now sunless sky. I glanced behind me to peer through the window of my house. Lamps lit up the living room and Emily was sitting in her favorite chair with a magazine and a coffee mug. I frown slightly and turned my head back to the mountains.

Lately, Emily had been distant like the stars that began to speckle the sky millions of miles above me. Her laughter and spirit seemed absent and when I questioned her mood she only gave me a look and shrugged as though she were acting normally. I lay back on the grass with my hands behind my head and stared into the abyss of the sky. A rush of wind took away the heat of the day and replaced it with the breath of night. I lay in the grass until the earth had molded around my body and I could feel my hands dig deep into the dirt. The light from the living room had faded and the house sat in a silent darkness. I stood up and made my way to the front porch, the screen door hissing as I opened it wide to reveal a quiet dwelling. Emily was asleep as I made my way to our bedroom. I watched her chest rise and fall in the light of the moon. Her breath was steady and slow, her brown hair flowing like a river onto the pillow under her head. I sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her cheek gently with the back of my hand. She seemed at peace and as I curled up next to her I felt my eyes close, strange dreams of dark woods and barren forests rolling through my mind as sleep took me.

x x x

I woke up sitting and out of breath. I felt Emily's small, cool hands on my shoulder immediately as a frightened expression panned out across her face.

"What's wrong?" She questioned, fear seeping into her words. "Are you okay?"

My eyes groped the darkness as I attempted to remember why I was sitting up. After a moment of my silence Emily grew impatient. "Sam," she urged. "Tell me. What's the matter?"

The sky was still dark but a hint of light blue was illuminating the distant mountains. Morning was near. "Nightmare." I blurted out. "It was just a nightmare." I looked to her face, which was shrouded in darkness, and covered her hand with mine. Her postured relaxed as she let herself fall gently back onto the covers. She attempted to pull my body back down to hers but I resisted and swung my feet over the edge of the bed. I was wide-awake and I needed to move.

"Where are you going?" Emily asked curiously, though a clear wave of sleepiness coated her voice.

"Patrol," I murmured as I ripped off my pajamas bottoms and stood naked in the middle of the bedroom.

Emily rolled onto her side and gazed suspiciously at me. "At this hour?" She asked. I didn't respond. "The boys are going to kill you."

I walked over to kneel at the edge of the bed so that my eyes were level with hers. "Don't go anywhere, okay?" I almost begged. It was then that Emily realized my panic was not for a nightmare. It was something else. But she dared not ask, she only nodded her head and reached out for my hand. I took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. I forced a small smile and bent to kiss the top of her forehead.

"No worries. I'm just being careful. I'll be back before the sun rises."

I left Emily's side quickly even though every fiber of my body wanted to stay beside her with my arms embracing her small body. The air was cool and humid as I leapt off the porch and hit the grassy earth. My bones broke and my muscles twisted and fur burst through my skin as that of a giant, black wolf replaced my human body. I bolted through the woods, fast as fire catching dry brush. I felt adrenaline surge through my temples as though my heart were inside of my head instead of my chest. When I was a decent distance from my house I let a long, loud howl rip through the night. I sung to the moon, whose light would quickly surrender to the coming day. I gauged it was around 5:30am.

My call was that of the alpha and it would wake even the deepest of sleepers. It was only moments before the first of the pack began shifting. The first was Paul followed by Seth and then shortly after, Leah. The rest followed suit. My mind was suddenly flooded with a half a dozen voices as the pack buzzed like a heard of mosquitoes.

"_What the hell are you doing calling us at this hour?"_ Jared roared.

"_Yeah…yah jerk!"_ Seth added, though a more playful tone caressed his voice. The rest added their two cents as a crew of giant wolves came crashing one-by-one through the woods. Embry was the last, skidding to a stop behind Leah. My eyes made their way down the semicircle of wolves as I was met with yawns and grumbles. Leah looked especially irritated but that wasn't anything unusual when it came to greeting me. My count ended with Paul, though it shouldn't have. We were one short.

"_Where is Jacob?"_ I questioned.

"_Oh yeah,"_ Embry chimed in._ "He's in Seattle."_

"_What's he doing in Seattle?"_ I asked curiously, momentarily distracted by Jacob's absence.

"_Mourning the loss of his love life,"_ Jared said as he rolled his eyes.

"_He's been all bummed out about Bella,"_ Quil explained. _"Rachel was in town and took him to Seattle for a day."_

"_Well, he's got bad timing,"_ I said. _"There's a leech on the loose."_

"_Seven, actually,"_ Paul added with a smirk.

"_Thanks, smartass,"_ I shot back. _"I don't mean the Cullens. This smell was different. Dangerous." _The pack fell silent as I spoke. The scent of a rouge vampire had found its way through my window and into my bedroom. I knew the smell of the Cullens like the back of my hand; this wasn't that smell. Forks and La Push were small places and it wasn't like they were particularly thrilling either. If there was a vampire running loose through these woods it had a purpose. I began to bark commands as the pack scattered to obey.

"_Quil, Jared, and Embry...the west and up the coastline. Leah and Paul, you guys take the southern border. Seth and I will take the northeast. East is Cullen territory, so they'll handle whatever goes that way…hopefully. Meet back in an hour on the eastern border."_ Everyone departed quickly from the clearing as the wolves took off in different directions. Seth tailed me closely and stayed on my right as Jacob would if he had been present. For a moment there was nothing but silence and my head filled with troubling thoughts of Emily's strange habits. A frown took my face and I could feel Seth suddenly brush my right side as he broke the silence.

"_Trouble with your lady?"_ Seth asked. _"You should sit her down and tell her…right to her face that you think she's acting weird. Don't accuse her though. Girls hate that."_

I struggled to contain my laughter as I continued to pick up speed. _"Gee,"_ I said. _"Thank you love guru, Seth. Wise words from a fourteen year old expert."_

"_I'm sixteen!"_ Seth snapped back but I could see from the corner of my eye that Seth had a big grin on his shaggy face.

"_Still a kid,"_ I reminded. _"And, I got this, alright? You just wait till you've imprinted and your girl's giving you attitude. We'll see if you can take your own love advice." _I knocked him playfully and he shoved me back as we ran diagonally across the border, avoiding Cullen territory. After a good forty-five minutes, Seth and I came up empty handed. The smell seemed gone from the air but I could still imagine the sweet, metallic sting in my nostrils. The remaining groups were just as unfortunate and everyone made it a point to vocalize that they were "dying of hunger". The sun was now dancing and rising in a bright morning sky. The birds and insects were busy around us, chirping and buzzing and flying about. The heat was already creeping up my skin and warming my fur. I could smell the nauseating scent of the Cullens as the wind picked up and blew through the great oaks and western hemlocks. But the smells were all familiar, nothing foreign or dangerous.

"_Seriously, Sam,"_ Jared moaned as he and his group joined ours. _"You gonna feed us or what?"_

"_Yeah!"_ Quil agreed._ "I was banking on an Emily-style breakfast!"_

"_Alright, alright,"_ I silenced them. _"Geez. You guys are a bunch of whiners-"_ But my thoughts were immediately cut off as every shaggy head in the pack turned to the right to observe a pair of shadows dancing through the trees. They were zooming in and out like fish zigzagging through a coral reef. My back arched and my ears sunk low to my head as shivers ran through my entire being. My body crept towards the shadows as they raced towards me. I couldn't move much closer. The boundary line seemed to sparkle in the rising sun even though the borders that divided my land from _theirs_ was imaginary. Luckily, the shadows came to a halt only about 100 feet from the pack. Upon seeing the blonde silken hair of one and the dark auburn hair of the other I let out a huge, irritated sigh. Cullens.

"_Damn,"_ Paul said. _"And I thought we were about to have some fun after all."_

"_Hi Edward!"_ Seth chirped as he took a step forward. Annoyed with Seth's cheerful demeanor, I growled lightly and watched as Seth whimpered and took a step back.

"_What do you want?"_ I rather demanded. Normally there would have been no communication between the two species but I knew Edward could read my thoughts perfectly. It was useful, I guess but irritating when I didn't want a pair of fangs rummaging through my thoughts. Thank god Jacob was gone. He would have blown a casket had he been standing within a few feet of Edward Cullen. The blonde vampire, who I couldn't deny was extraordinarily beautiful, didn't need Edward's translation to read my words.

"We have every right to be here, dog," Rosalie spat. "This side is ours. And for your information, we were tracking a rouge scent." I was going to growl at her but the second half of her sentence distracted me. So, they smelled it too.

Edward caught my train of thought and nodded silently. "Earlier this morning. Carlisle and the others were out tracking as well. We so far have been unsuccessful. Your findings?"

I shook my head and a look of disappointment ran across Edward's face. Rosalie eyed Edward and the two exchanged some sort of silent conversation. Suspicion made its way into my thoughts and I narrowed my eyes. The two looked as though they had some hidden piece of information they were deciding not to share. I yelped to grab their attention and Edward averted his attention to me.

"_What's going on?"_ I asked. _"What aren't you telling us?"_

"Nothing," Edward responded coolly but I didn't believe him.

"_You realize you're only hurting yourselves by keeping information from us. You can't come on this side of the line,"_ I reminded. _"You rely on us to keep this half of the border safe."_

"I'm well aware," Edward said flatly. Rosalie looked between the two of us with a confused expression, unable to understand the conversation that was bouncing back and forth between Edward and I. The wolves were locked in through my mind.

"_We thought maybe you needed a refresher,"_ Paul snapped as he cut into the conversation.

"_Since last time we checked you have decided to up and off yourself. Too bad you changed your mind. Should have taken that good for nothing leech family with you,"_ Jared snarled.

I wheeled around and yelped at Jared and Paul. _"Knock it off, you guys!"_ But it was too late. I heard an inhuman growl rumble through Edward's chest and although Rosalie was unaware of what had transpired, she leapt in front of Edward and successful blocked his lunge.

"Why don't you take your sled team to the hospital, Balto?" Rosalie almost sang, liquid anger boiling in her bell-like voice. "I heard your fiancé requested an emergency appointment with my father just this morning."

My breath was taken from me as a pain tingled through my chest and my knees visibly buckled.

Rosalie had a disgusting smirk on her face as she removed her arms from Edward's chest. "I can see this information is news to you. Well, run along then. Mush!"

I disregarded Rosalie's cruel comments entirely as I turned my body the opposite direction and bolted away from the two vampires. The pack was left momentarily in the dust but I felt Embry take my right side and Paul my left. The worried voices of my brothers were suddenly buzzing like a swarm of bees in my head.

"_She's lying!"_ Embry assured.

"_A bunch of shit, Sam!"_ Paul agreed.

"_Damn, I hate that blonde one!"_

"_Why would she know about Emily?"_

"_She's lying. She's gotta be lying!"_

"_We'll check the house. She'll be there, Sam!"_

_She'll be there._ I repeated the words over in and over in my mind until the house that I shared with Emily was visible through the trees. The pack was hot on my heels as I slammed my body weight into the ground and skidded to a stop. Seth almost collided with me but managed to dart to the left. Quil wasn't so fortunate as he smacked Embry's side sending Embry into Leah. Leah gasped in surprised and turned around to roar at a disoriented Embry. It would have been comical but I had no time to laugh. I was on two legs in an instant and ripped open the front door entering my home completely out of breath. The pack waited anxiously behind me as I called out for Emily rather desperately.

"Emily!" I shouted to the stairs as I clumsily found my way up them. "Em?" I tore through the rooms in a frantic search and ended at an empty bedroom that was filled with complete silence. The bed was carefully made and Emily's nightgown was strewn across the end of the bed. The window was cracked slightly. A cool breeze blew from the west, rustling the pages of a book I had left on the nightstand. But Emily hadn't been in this room for over an hour. My heart thundered through my head as it had when I first caught the scent of the rouge vampire only hours previously. She wasn't here. She was gone. Where was she?

I found myself in the kitchen dialing a phone. I pressed the numbers harder than I needed and listened, as the receiving end seemed to ring and ring endlessly. When a voice finally did pick up it was sweet and bouncy as though working at a hospital was the best job in the world.

"Hi, I'm wondering if an Emily Young was submitted within the last 3 hours?" I asked nervously not sure whether I wanted the answer to be yes or no. A brief pause preceded the attendant's answer.

"Not to the ER, sir, no. There was however an Emily Young who was in with Dr. Cullen-"

"Yeah," I interrupted. "Sure, that sounds right. What's she in for? Is she okay? Is she still there?"

"I can't disclose any information to you. Doctor-patient confidentiality, sir."

I wished that she'd stop calling me sir. "I'm her fiancé."

"I'm sorry but it doesn't matter. Unless she signed your name off on the form, I can't tell you anything about her being here other than she is."

That was all I needed. I hung up the phone without a response, muttering and cursing at the attendant as I searched for a pair of pants. I couldn't run to the hospital for various reasons, which included the whole "naked" issue. My clothes were littered about the house as though they were part of the décor. It drove Emily insane but I threw my clothes on and off so frequently for patrol that she quickly gave up on scolding me. I was dressed with keys in hand within five minutes of hanging up the phone. The shirt I was wearing was questionable in its cleanliness but I didn't have the time to find something "nice" to wear. And it didn't matter either. The pack was waiting eagerly outside like dogs would for dinner. Their ears popped up as I walked outside and had I not been completely distraught about Emily, I would have scolded all of them for being shifted and so out in the open. Embry walked towards me, his big shaggy head towering over mine.

"Emily's at the hospital…not in the ER but at the hospital. Seems vampire Barbie wasn't lying. I'm going to head up to Forks to see what the hell is going on."

I stepped away from Embry but he followed, nipping at my shirt and whimpering. I smacked him light on the side, reassuring him as I spoke. "No, you stay here, Embry. And Quil. Stay here in case this is part of something…some…I don't know, just guard the house. The rest of you… be on alert. And for fuck's sake, someone get Jacob Black the hell back here."

I hoped the pack couldn't hear the fear that was seeping through my words but I was sure my panic was obvious. I hopped in the blue SVU Emily and I had saved up for and brought the engine to life with the jab of my keys into the ignition. The car roared as I made a circle in our driveway and pulled out into the road, leaving my nervous and confused pack standing in the dust for the second time that day.

_To be continued…_


	2. Changing Air

**Chapter Two:** Changing Air

The road leading out of La Push was silent. The laziness of summer had not yet faded and the back roads along the Rez were never very busy anyhow. I gripped the steering wheel until the blood ran out of my knuckles and my hands were completely white. The way to the hospital felt like the distance to another universe, which left me too much time to linger on unwanted thoughts. It was just an appointment. She wasn't in the ER. I was being dramatic. But why hadn't she told me before? I told her to not leave the house. And what's she doing wanting Cullen as her doctor?

I parked illegally outside the hospital and ignored the glares from the nurses chattering outside the main wing as I walked through, and almost into, the motion-sensitive doors. At the desk a young woman was shuffling papers and waving her hands with orders. As I entered she smiled and crossed her hands as she sat down.

"Hi. I'm um…looking for my…wife. She came in to see Dr. Cullen? I'm just a little late but we were meant to see him together," I lied. "Her name is Emily Young."

The nurse tabbed through a few papers before opening a manila colored envelope and nodding her head. "Yes, Emily Young? You're more than just a little late. You better make your way down the left wing immediately if you want to catch that appointment, Mr. Young. Third door on your right."

The hallway was painted off-white with cutout, colorful fish swarming in between painted kelp and wallpapered coral reefs. The third door on my right was silky blue in color. I considered knocking but my nerves got the best of me and I opened the door with more might then I had intended, throwing the door ajar. Emily was lying on her back on a cushioned table but the sudden slam of the door handle against the wall frightened her into a sitting position. It was clear she had swallowed a scream as she placed her hand over her heart and addressed me with a relieved but annoyed stare.

" Jesus Christ, Sam," she breathed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What the hell are YOU doing here?" I asked as I walked over to examine her. Besides the look of bewilderment on her face, all seemed in order. She had no cuts or bruises or…fang marks. I lifted her arm and turned her palm over. She gently smacked me away.

"How did you know I was here?" She asked curiously.

"The blonde demon told me." I muttered.

"…who?"

"You know," I said as I checked her other arm. "The blonde Cullen Barbie."

"Oh. Rosalie. You spoke with Rosalie?"

"Not voluntarily."

She eyed me suspiciously as I took her hand in mine and stroked her fingers. "I told you not to go anywhere."

"Look, Sam-"

"I thought you were in trouble, Emily. No note. No nothing. We're not exactly a normal family. Most people don't have to worry that their fiancé might have been mauled by a vampire-"

"Sam-"

"And why did Rosalie know that you were here and I didn't? Are we now informing the bloodsuckers of our daily endeavors?"

"SAM!" She grabbed my other hand and shook me a bit, a smile running across her face.

"What?" I responded as exhaustion filled my voice and the tense ripples in my shoulders subsided.

"I'm pregnant."

My mouth opened but no noise came forth. Words bled out of my body as Emily met me with a satisfied grin. Her fingers were still interlocked with mine. My grip had completely melted away but Emily held the weight of my hands in hers.

"You mean…like…a baby?" I asked stupidly.

"No, Sam. I was planning on a dolphin."

"You're pregnant," I repeated to her almost absentmindedly. She took one of my hands and placed it on her slender stomach. Somewhere deep within her body, life had begun to blossom. A life that shared my blood and would forever be a walking piece of my soul outside my body. My child. Mine. Finally, after what seemed like too long to process, I felt a tremor vibrate through my chest and I knew what I felt was joy and excitement.

"You're pregnant!" I asserted, this time with a smile that matched my grinning fiancé. She brought her hands to my face and I naturally leaned forwards to embrace her soft kiss. Electricity tingled through my skin as I felt Emily's soft lips on mine. I knew how she felt but the spark she always sent through my body would never seize to excite or amaze me. Her body under my hands was like a drug but this wasn't the time or place to feed my addiction. It was she that broke the kiss but a smile still shone on her face.

"I took a test at home but…I didn't want to tell you unless I was absolutely sure. And, I couldn't wait. I had to know. They said if I rushed over immediately that Dr. Cullen could take me-"

"Cullen?" I groaned with a disgusted look to match "Aw, Em. You're not seriously thinking of having _him_ as your doctor for _our_ child, are you?"

"He's the best, Sam. He is. I know…the history. I get it. But, he's been doing this for years. Do you know how many babies he's helped birth?"

"And how many of those do you think he's eaten?"

"Sam," she warned. "I don't expect you to love him. But, he's been nothing but kind to me. And after this, we don't need to see him anymore. I just…trust him. He's experienced, literally more than a hundred years of practice. Where would you find that anywhere else? Sam…please?"

She looked desperately to me and I knew that I couldn't deny her. I paused in my response, pretending that it took me a moment to decide whether I wanted to give in to her ways.

"Fine. But if he makes one wrong move-"

Emily threw her arms around me and laughed, effectively silencing what was going to be a long threat to Carlisle Cullen's life. Her warm embrace only softened me further and I was filled with future memories of our life together. For a moment we were silent and the room was still besides the rising and falling of breath that escaped our lips. The silence was interrupted by a knock at the door and the pale face of Carlisle Cullen as he entered the room.

"Ah. Sam Uley," Carlisle greeted with a smile. "I'm assuming your presence indicates you've heard of the coming addition to your family?"

"Yeah," I responded emotionlessly. I crossed my arms and stood firmly at Emily's side. Carlisle was head honcho of the fang gang across the border but I did have to admit that he was also the most tolerable. Several times the pack was forced to encounter the Cullens and whenever Carlisle was present conflict between the two species was avoided. That didn't mean I liked him.

"Well, Ms. Young, you can be on your way whenever you please. I'll need to see you once or twice a month until your about 28 weeks along," Carlisle instructed. Emily hopped off the table and Carlisle handed Emily the examine sheet to take up to the hospital front desk.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen." Emily said.

"You're most welcome and please, call me Carlisle. And if there is anything else you need in regards to prenatal care, you know where to find me." Carlisle responded. I almost rolled my eyes but Emily nudged me in his direction.

"Yeah, thanks," I heard myself say. Carlisle kept his smile, which of course I found incredibly annoying, and led us out into the corridor. We didn't make it very far out the door, however, because standing directly outside was Edward Cullen with Bella in tow. He looked rather surprised to see me, as though he hadn't watched me dart off frantically after Rosalie's comment in the woods. Bella looked even more surprised.

"Sorry, Carlisle. I didn't realize you were still on call," Edward said. Slightly behind Edward, Bella Swan was cradling her right hand with her left. Her fingers were bent and bruised and the side of her hand was swollen twice the size it should have been. Her hair was windblown and a sting of anger gleamed in her deep brown eyes. My fists curled up at my sides as Edward's attention was brought immediately to me.

"What'd he do to you?" I asked Bella before Edward could land a word on my thoughts. A look of confusion ran across Bella's face before she realized I was staring at her disfigured hand.

"Oh. No…no, Sam, it's not what you think…" Bella stuttered but Edward was swift to interrupt.

"More like what Jacob Black has done," Edward corrected. "If I can't assure that Jacob won't be a threat to Bella on _your_ side of the boundary line then-"

"The only threat to Bella is you," I snapped. "And Jacob isn't even here so how is it this is his fault?"

Bella stepped forwards so that she was side by side with Edward. "He is here. He called me early this morning after he got back from Seattle and insisted that I come over," Bella explained. Jacob Black was in La Push? Damn that boy moved fast.

"Look, it's not a big deal, okay? Can I just get this fixed?" Bella said as she waved her broken hand at us. Carlisle ushered her away from Edward and into the room Emily and I had just occupied. Edward followed Bella with his eyes but he stood his ground.

"I would appreciate it if you spoke with Jacob," Edward requested.

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do," I said coldly. Edward responded with a hard stare that I knew went straight through my head and into my mind. I hated that he could latch on to my inner most thoughts and as we stood in silence I felt vulnerable in his presence. Though a part of me wanted to ignore Bella's hand and Edward's accusations, I was curious about Jacob. But I wasn't about to sit and exchange details with Edward. Emily tugged gently on my hand and I willingly followed, leaving Edward standing in the hallway as Emily and I made our way to the exit.

X X X

By the time I had reached Jacob's house it was pouring. Within a short span of 45 minutes, clouds had smothered the once blue sky and huge raindrops had begun pummeling the ground. The seat beside me was empty. I had dropped Emily back off at the house where she proceeded to call every known person to humanity and tell them of the news. I sat in Jacob's driveway and felt a smile creep up the edges of my lips as I thought again of a child that was mine. At the back of my mind I could feel the memories of my own father seep through the happiness that was filling my thoughts. It was a hot night when he walked out the door, nights like the ones that belonged to summer. I'd never forget the look on my mother's face as she stood in the doorway, the fans from the kitchen blowing hot air out into the open night. And he never came back. He never even turned around to see her face.

I closed my eyes, letting the memories die away like a suffocated flame. Soon all that was left was the rain on my windshield and Jacob Black's house. I decided the rain wasn't getting any less wet and made the dash from my SUV to Jacob's door. Billy had seen me in the driveway and greeted me cheerfully as I made my way inside.

"Congratulations, Sam!" Billy roared happily as he slapped my arm. "So good to know the generations are continuing!" It took me a minute but I realized he was speaking about Emily's pregnancy. I couldn't believe she had already called him.

"Thanks. And geez," I said with a smile. "News travels fast. Yeah, just found out this morning." Billy looked tired but well. His hair was pulled back with a leather tie and he wore his favorite boots regardless of the fact that he would never again actually walk in them. He looked the same as the day that I came into his house sobbing like a child, confused about what the hell I had become. It was Billy who helped me through my transformation and kept me from sinking in times that I thought were my darkest. But it was Jacob that I was here to see.

"Not to cut our conversation short but is Jake here? I have something I need to talk with him about." I asked, a more serious tone taking my voice. Billy nodded and directed me to the garage where Jacob was fixing up something or other, as he always was. When I entered the garage my clothes were soaked from the rain and Jacob greeted me with a look that confirmed he knew exactly why I was there.

"Look, Sam, before you even start…I totally didn't know she was going to take a swing at me." Jacob blurted out. I had no idea what had happened but the thought of Bella punching Jacob was hilarious.

"Bella's broken hand is from an attempt at punching you?" I couldn't help but laugh. Jacob was now aware that I only knew half the story. He filled me with the other half; the half where Jacob's teenage hormones got the best of him and he forcibly kissed Bella Swan. But I wasn't concerned with the scandalous mishap part. Bella's broken hand meant Edward's discontent and I frowned as Jacob began to badmouth the mind reader and explain their not-so-friendly encounter.

"It would be helpful if you didn't piss off Edward Cullen. I have enough problems with the fang gang as it is," I cut in.

"Not my problem that he throws a hissy fit every time Bella comes here. She's can be here if she wants," Jacob snapped.

"Maybe she shouldn't be."

"That's what _he_ said too."

"Well I agree with him."

Jacob had a look of outrage as he stood. I could feel the anger in his voice escalate to an uncomfortable level. "How you can say that? When do we ever agree with them?" Jacob asked.

"Look, Jacob. She's not right for you and she never will be. She's been nothing but heartbreak-"

"What the hell do you know?" Jacob roared. "I'm so sick of everyone saying that! She's not right for you, she's not your imprint, blah blah blah. Who the hell do you think was there for her when she needed someone the most?"

"And where is she now that you need her?" I stated boldly. Jacob felt truth in my words but the anger was now boiling through his body, anger with hearing my words so many times it drove him into insanity. How many times had we had this conversation? How many would it take?

Jacob gritted his teeth as he spoke. "She's with him and he won't let her breathe without his say-so. She was MY friend before fucking Cullen came into the picture! And now because of the stupid boundary lines, I can't even see her without his damn permission!" Jacob's tirade ended with him throwing off his shoes and bursting out of the garage on all fours. I could have caught him, stopped him, ordered him back but I let him disappear into the mist and darkness of the woods.

I sat alone in the barn as the rain hammered the roof, seeping in through the windows that weren't airtight. The air was changing and although the day was still hot I could feel winter's breath around the corner. I found myself back in my SVU driving along the Reservation road that led to my house. The pavement seemed alive and moving as it glistened with rainwater and smoldered with mist. The woods were black with darkness and as I gazed at the blurs of moving trees I watched the happiness I had felt earlier fade away like the mist on the pavement. The air was changing. Something was coming and I had no idea what it was. But I could feel it moving like ants running over my skin. I'd ignore it for today, drive home and see the woman who held my child in her womb. But it would linger and hover and somehow, in the back of my mind, I knew it would only be a moment before I saw my darkest hour.

_To be continued…_


	3. Shake The Feeling

**Chapter Three:** Shake The Feeling

The forest was on fire but there was no flame. The entire landscape was a blur of orange and red and the ground that once hosted green grass was now covered in fallen brown leaves. Patrol had been a failure. Paul and Jared had been arguing about something or other, sports scores or women or who knows what and had started a brawl. The leaf piles in the forest were so huge even a giant wolf could be lost underneath. Jared fell after a snap from Paul's giant jaw and successfully disappeared underneath a swell of golden and brown. Leaves were thrown into the air as the remainder of the pack jumped into the piles like a band of children. Even heartbroken Jacob and grumpy Leah could be heard laughing as they rolled and twisted through the leaves. I stood motionless beside the chaos. I knew any attempt to get their attention and reorganize the patrol would have been useless. And I didn't feel like joining in; my mind was elsewhere. The Cullens had been agitated lately and it hadn't gone unnoticed. I could sense them running through the woods more frequently than usual and when we happened to encounter them on the border, they seemed distracted and unconcerned with the pack's usual banter. I knew something was happening; I just didn't know what.

An hour passed and the pack was wandering their separate way through the woods as I dismissed the group. A cold October wind blew through the trees, the leaves falling as the breath of winter flew through the canopy of the forest. There was no trail to my home but I knew the way by scent. When I hit the edge of my driveway I could see that Emily's car was gone. But Emily was home. She was wandering through the kitchen with numerous things in her hands as the clock on the wall ticked closer to breakfast time. It had been almost three months since Emily had held my hands in the hospital and informed me that she was pregnant. Her stomach was still small but I knew soon her belly would be swollen heavy with life. My tail swished lightly behind me as the spark of excitement I now knew so well flowed through my body.

I entered through the back door and felt my fury four legs shift and twist back into two. The kitchen smelled of eggs and bacon and the familiar scent of Emily lingered along the meal she was cooking so diligently. I could see the smile forming across her lips as my arms wrapped around her middle. We greeted one another silently. I placed a trail of soft kisses down her neck and gently bit the skin on her exposed shoulders. I got the response I wanted, which was a small shiver that started at Emily's middle and quivered through her breast and neck. She swatted me lightly with a spatula.

"Do you want breakfast or not?" Emily asked me teasingly. She turned and kissed my lips quickly but lovingly and then motioned to the cabinets that held plates. "Put your height to use and get the plates on the top shelf, will you?"

"Where's the car?" I asked as I began preparing the table for breakfast. There was a strange pause in between my question and Emily's answer as though she needed a moment to think of her reply.

"Oh…um," Emily stuttered. "Well, it's being fixed."

"Fixed? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing," She said quickly. I turned around with a look of confusion on my face.

"Well why are you having it fixed then?" I questioned.

"It's more of just a tune up. I'm just making it…I dunno…spiffy?"

"Right…is Jake taking care of it for you, then?"

"No." She answered plainly.

"Oh. Leah?"

"No."

"Are we playing a game or are you going to tell me?" I said, slightly agitated.

She turned around to meet my eyes and bit her lip ever so slightly. It would have been sexy if she weren't clearly trying to hide something from me. "You'll be angry," Emily almost whispered.

"Why would I be angry? Did you get in an accident? Did the car get stolen?"

"No, no…" She said dismissing me, waving off my concerns casually. Emily took a moment and then spoke as she fidgeted with the spatula she was holding. "Emmett's working on it."

"Ah. Okay, cool…who's Emmett?"

"You know…Emmett Cullen-"

"CULLEN?" I shouted in disbelief, sending Emily a few feet off the ground in surprise. "What the hell are you doing giving him the car?"

"I knew you would be mad! See! I shouldn't have said anything!"

"Yeah, when we're perfectly capable of fixing it ourselves! And seriously? Emmett? Jacob would have done it for you, you know this!"

"Sam," she almost pleaded. "He's really skilled and it happened so fast…I was seeing Carlisle for a monthly appointment and Emmett just happened to be there and to comment about the car and he said that Rosalie and himself fixed cars all the time and that they'd do it for free-"

"Oh so now we're a charity case?" I scoffed.

"No, Sam, come on. It's not like that. He barely even gave me a choice. I…it…it's not like we're hanging out or anything. It's just one thing, okay? I'll go pick up the car and it'll be done."

"Oh, no, no," I corrected her, almost throwing the second plate down as I set the table. "Cullen's fixing the car. Fine. It's not like I can just waltz across the boundary line and do anything about it. But you are _not_ going over there to go pick it up…like visiting them is some favorite Quileute pastime or something."

Emily looked rather tragically to me as our eyes met and I felt a sting of sadness tremble through my veins. Anger wasn't an emotion I liked to feel when in Emily's presence and it was such a foreign feeling I wasn't sure exactly what to do with it.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Emily whispered. "I didn't do it to upset you. I just thought…it would be nice, you know?"

I felt ashamed of my anger as I traced my fingers along the edge of my plate, avoiding Emily's eyes. "It is…nice," I forced myself to say. "I just…worry about you around them with our baby and all. I don't want them doing us any favors. And I didn't mean to yell."

She made her way over to me and caressed my cheeks with her slender fingers. I held her gently at the waist and kissed her forehead. My body gave in to her touch and I was hers within moments. Suddenly I was kissing her lips and she was dragging my body into hers. Her hands were caught up in my t-shirt and my fingers were entangled in her earthy, brown hair. Electricity burned through my body as my hands ached to touch her hips and her breasts. Had breakfast not been on the stove, had I not lifted my head to hear the sound of a howl, I could have taken her on the kitchen table. Plates and silverware would have clattered to the ground as I pushed my body into her against the side of the table. But it was Jacob's howl. The wild sound rang through the house like a bell and I knew Emily had heard its silvery ring. She shook her head as she continued kissing me.

"Ignore it," Emily said between kisses.

"Can't," I whispered breathlessly. "It's Jacob."

"It's always Jacob."

This was true. Whatever the issue or situation, it always did seem to be Jacob. "I know," I agreed, taking my hands to her face and pulling her lips from mine. "But this howl is different. It's…well…I'm needed."

"But you were literally _just _with the pack an hour ago. They spend more time with you than I do and I'm having your child, Samuel Uley."

"I know, I know," I moaned. "But this sounds urgent. I swear…I'll be back as fast as I can. I'm sure it's just the Cullens."

When wasn't it the Cullens? Emily's eyes begged for me but the howl that Jacob released, now his second that ripped through the morning, made my skin crawl. I ran my hands through Emily's silky brown hair one last time before leaving her alone with a pan of sizzling bacon and a look of sadness spread across her face.

I ran with speed that I forgot I had. It wasn't exciting exactly but it was something. The Cullens were a pain in the ass but they weren't howl worthy. The only problem we seemed to have with the Cullens was running out of insulting names to give them. But Jacob's tone seemed genuinely distressed and we had only met an hour ago. What could have possibly happened in the span of those 60 minutes? I was about to find out as I came to a halt in front of Jacob and Leah. The others were on their way; I could hear them in my head. I knew Jacob didn't need me to ask what the matter was as we met in the center of the forest.

"_Just got a call from Bella,"_ Jacob said. _"There's been a leech in her bedroom."_

"_Besides Edward,"_ Leah added. Jacob shot her an unappreciated look before he continued.

"_A real one, Sam. It took things that belonged to Bella…for her scent. Or something. She was talking real fast but Carlisle wants to talk to you. He said to meet at the border."_

Seth and Jared came barreling through the woods as Quil and Embry trailed behind them. Paul was last.

"_Bout time for some action,"_ Jared said.

"_Yeah, meeting with Carlisle. Way fun,"_ Paul responded sarcastically.

"_We're not all going,"_ I said. The group turned their attention to me as I attempted to formulate a plan. _"Jacob and myself will go to speak. I want Leah and Embry shifted and close by. The rest of you, wait for the information elsewhere."_

The remaining wolves who had been left out of the "action" moaned and groaned as the group split for the second time that day. The last thing I wanted to do was meet with the Cullens. It was a beautiful fall morning and I was spending my time conversing with vampires. Jacob and I returned to human form and made ourselves decent by throwing on a pair of shorts. Any other person would be wrapped in a coat with a scarf and mittens but our bodies were like walking heaters. I almost never felt the cold, just admired it.

I was slightly worried that Edward would be present and that Jacob would be conjuring death plans as we stood across the imaginary line from the Cullens. When we arrived at our destination it was Carlisle who greeted us with Emmett standing slightly behind him. It was a smart choice. Emmett I knew was the strongest and if the situation were to ever get out of hand, he was the most capable of silencing violence. I also knew that he was the one who so "generously" offered to fix up Emily's car. Jacob and I seemed to flip roles as I stared down Emmett with disdain. Emmett didn't need the ability to read minds in order to know what I was thinking. I forced silence upon myself as Carlisle interrupted my train of thought with his words.

"Good to see you again, Sam," Carlisle greeted. Good to see me? Gross.

"Yeah…you too…sort of," I muttered. "What's with this rouge vampire business?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.

"There have been disturbing reports coming from Seattle," Carlisle informed. "And I just know that the murders being committed in the city are tied with vampiric activity. Alice has also done a great deal of work in investigating the situation. I think that whatever went through Bella's room is also apart of this growing…army."

"Army?" I questioned. "You mean like…an army of vampires?"

"Newborns," Carlisle answered. "The worst kind of vampire. They are the most dangerous and unpredictable and when directed by the wrong people…deadly. We're not sure yet what their purpose is but if scouts are coming here to Forks…I can only imagine."

"What's the plan of action?" Jacob asked.

"Well, none as of right this moment. I just wanted to update you on the situation. We'll most likely need to work together if this becomes what I hope it doesn't. Bella's involvement will most certainly be revealed when we know more information."

"Fun," Jacob groaned.

"Keep me posted," I said. "These borders are sealed tight by patrol. We can extend our boundaries north and south if needed. As for Bella, well…it seems she is well protected." Jacob shot me a look but I didn't meet his eyes. I wasn't worried about Bella. She had a coven of vampires and their magical powers to stand for her and I most certainly wasn't going to fight a war for her. What was this? Helen of Troy?

Carlisle nodded in agreement and we said our goodbyes. Emmett caught me with words before I could turn.

"Tell Emily the car's finished and she can pick it up anytime she likes," Emmett said to me. I swore he said something on purpose just to rub me the wrong way.

"Emily won't be paying you a visit," I said coldly. "You can drop the car off on neutral grounds and Jacob or myself will come pick it up."

"Oh can I?" Emmett snapped. "I'm doing you a favor, Uley."

"Yeah, one I definitely didn't ask for. I can do without your favors, thanks."

"What's Cullen doing with your car?" Jacob interrupted, confused with the details that were being exchanged. I ignored Jacob momentarily.

"Meet at the hospital tomorrow at 4pm with the car," I said. I'm sure Emmett could have goaded me on further but I walked away quickly to avoid conversation. For some reason the confrontation with Emmett seemed deeper than words. Something had started between the two of us and whatever it was it wasn't good. I walked away feeling strange and uncomfortable and as hard as I tried I couldn't shake the mysterious feeling.

Jacob trailed behind me like a puppy and began to hammer me with questions the moment we were out of earshot. Jacob was an immediate bad influence. He found my sudden hatred for Emmett amusing, calling him my "Edward" and babbling on about ways of defeating both Edward and Emmett as though we were noble knights saving our damsels in distress. We came to the road that led to both of our houses and I finally told Jacob to shut up and go home. Although his babbling was nonsensical Jacob seemed slightly lighthearted and I smiled, even after the Cullen confrontation, as I walked home. That night I made love to Emily and we left the windows open to cool down the heat that we had created. I gave myself over to sleep and as a frost swept through La Push I dreamt of darkness and wandering and losing myself to the wild.


End file.
